Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 57

THINGS WE LIKE

Spacious interior

Well equipped

Tidy dynamics

A good kid carrier

Comprehensive safety spec

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Cabin feels like $25,000, not $50,000

Excessive torque steer and

drivetrain shudder under

acceleration

Nine-speed auto is slow and

ineffi cient

False alarms from collision alert

Holden’s short warranty and less-

than-exemplary reliability record

Weak resale values

SPEX (LTZ-V)

Made in Mexico

2.0-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol/

nine-speed auto/selectable all-

wheel drive

188kW of power at 5500rpm/353Nm

of torque from 2500-4500rpm

0-100km/h N/A

7.0L/100km highway; 11.0L/100km

city; 95 octane premium; CO2

emissions are 196g/km; Fuel tank is

59 litres

Warranty: Five years/unlimited km

Max towing weight: 2000kg

Standard: Six airbags, stability

control, auto emergency braking,

blind spot monitoring, rear cross

traffi c alert, trailer sway control,

rear camera, parking sensors,

heated and cooled, leather-faced,

power-adjustable front seats,

wireless phone charging, automatic

parallel and perpendicular parking,

LED headlights, Bose sound, a full-

length sunroof, remote engine start,

hands-free power tailgate and 19-

inch alloys

Redbook future values: 3yr: 39%;

5yr: 24%

compare with ...

Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage,

Mazda CX5, Toyota RAV4, Skoda

Karoq, Subaru Forester, VW Tiguan

H

olden’s fi ve-seater mid-
size Equinox SUV starts at
$27,990 for the 127kW, 1.5-litre
turbopetrol, six-speed manual,
front-wheel drive LS; a six-
speed auto adds $2000.
The 100kW 1.6-litre
turbodiesel/six-speed
automatic/front-wheel drive LS+
is $35,990; LT is $39,990. The
all-wheel drive LTZ is $47,290;
LTZ-V is $49,290.
A 188kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol,
with a nine-speed automatic
and front-wheel drive, starts at
$36,990 for the LT. We’re testing
the top-of-the-range LTZ-V,
with selectable all-wheel drive.
It costs $46,290 plus on-road
costs. That’s more than 50 large
by the time you drive it home.
It had better be good, then.
Despite its generous
specifi cation, Equinox LTZ’s cabin
feels like $25,000, not $50,000.
Fit and fi nish quality are OK, but
GM’s trademark sludge-grey
decor gives it a grim, low-rent
ambience compared with more
stylish, polished rivals.

You sit on a fl at, reasonably

comfortable driver’s seat, with

clear vision in all directions.

The heated back seat has plenty

of legroom but the backrest is too

steeply angled in either of its two

positions.

Vents, two USBs, a 12-volt and

230-volt outlets are provided, so

kids will be happy.

A big boot is easily extended

using the 60/40 split-fold rear

seat backs.

Holden’s engineers (yes, it

still has some) have tweaked

the suspension for local roads,

so the ride, though fi rm on

19-inch wheels, is reasonably

compliant. Base models on

17-inch wheels would be more

comfortable in town.

Equinox LTZ-V has a vibrating

driver’s seat cushion that

gives your bum cheeks a tickle

whenever the forward collision

or rear cross traffi c alerts are

activated. It’s effective, though

the forward collision alert throws

up so many false alarms you’ll

probably turn it off.

The 188kW engine is tractable

and refi ned on a light throttle

but when you put your foot

down, it’s got way too much

grunt — as in 353Nm of torque

— for the front-wheel drivetrain

to deal with, so it chirps the

tyres, the steering wheel tugs

hard in your hands and the car

veers from side to side.

The test car also had a serious

drivetrain shudder under hard

acceleration that would have

seen an owner take it back to the

dealer for attention.

The nine-speed transmission

dithers around when you want

the next gear (or two) in a hurry,

slurs its shifts under pressure,

won’t shift into top gear at

Australian speed limits and offers

no real benefi t over a six-speed.

Despite automatic stop-start,

which you can’t turn off, it will

Safety

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS

use 10-13L/100km of premium in

town, where a wide-turning circle

is another annoyance. On the

highway, expect 7-8L/100km

As you would expect from

Holden, handling is safe, secure

and predictable on the open

road, with good control on rough

surfaces. It ain’t sporty, though.

Holden’s reliability record

isn’t great, either.

The lower-spec 1.5-litre

Equinox models look like

reasonable value, but the LTZ-V

is ridiculously overpriced. Its

packaging and equipment levels

are competitive but the drivetrain

needs work and it’s a style-free

zone. You can buy a lot better

elsewhere for similar money.

S HOLDEN EQUINOX FROM $27,990